Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is classified as an endocrine disruptor having adverse effects on health, when in contact with humans and animals. Inadequate disposal of effluents, as well as polycarbonate polymers and epoxy resins in the environment and their use in cooking utensils, increases the risk of human exposure to BPA. An alternative method for removal of BPA is the use of oxidative enzymes produced by lignocellulolytic fungi. Thus, the objectives of this work were to evaluate the capacity of Pleurotus sajor-caju crude enzyme broth to degrade BPA and to determine the best reaction conditions (BPA concentration, time reaction, laccase activity, pH and temperature). The experiments to obtain the crude enzyme broth were conducted in bioreactor and BPA quantification was performed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The crude enzyme broth was able to remove 100% BPA (30 ppm) in 10 hours and pH 5.0. The temperature (20, 30 and 40°C) had no influence on the reaction but greater enzymatic stability was observed at 20°C. The Pleurotus sajor-caju crude enzyme broth, without any enzyme isolation procedure, has shown to be very promising for use in the environmental field in the future.